Five Undeniable Truths About Horses

One: The first Undeniable Truth – Science tells us that it would take a minimum of 5000 years – probably closer to 10,000 – to even begin to change the base genetics of any species. In other words, no matter what anyone tells you to the contrary, a few hundred years of selective breeding has no effect on base genetics whatsoever or the horse’s ability to grow the kind of rock solid foot he was born to have. This is the foundation for all that follows. Everything begins right here. The wild horse in the western high desert of the United States has incredible feet. He must have to escape predators and to search for food and water. If he didn’t have incredible feet he’d be extinct. We would have never known him. And the wild horse and the domestic horse of today are genetically exactly the same. The domestic horse’s foot is not genetically weak and unhealthy. Not even the oft-claimed Thoroughbred. The conditions under which any horse lives can certainly cause ill health, but the horse’s genetics can fix that, given the opportunity.

Two: DNA sequencing was done on bones of horses discovered in the Alaskan permafrost dating 12,000 to 28,000 years old… and this DNA sequencing was compared to DNA sequencing from today’s domestic horse… and there was less than 1.2% difference in those 28,000 year old horses and the horse in your back yard. Documented and on record. Confirming, once again, that the base genetics of every horse on the planet are the same. Science confirms for us that every horse on this earth “retains the ability to return successfully to the wild or feral state” – note that they say successfully – and that includes growing himself or herself a great foot that would protect this flight animal from predators and give him – or her – the ability to travel 8-20 miles every day of his life.

Three: The horse began and evolved for 50+ million years in and around the Great Plains and later the Great Basin of the western United States… then he crossed the Bering Straits Land Bridge into Siberia spreading into the rest of the world. Which means that the horse – as we know it today – spent 50+ million years evolving – now please get this because it’s important – the horse spent 50+ million years evolving to live in conditions and on terrain like the western high desert of the United States and no horse will ever adapt to the terrain and environment in our new home in middle Tennessee…or at least not for 5000 to 10,000 years… and it is therefore up to us – Kathleen and myself – to do everything within our power to replicate the lifestyle they would be living if they were living in the great basin – which is effectively the lifestyle they were living at our high desert home in southern California (See Horses Without Grass) before moving to middle Tennessee (See Horses Were Born To Be On Grass).

The herd in California

The herd in Tennessee

Four: Undeniable Truth #4 (or perhaps #1): a horse’s hoof is supposed to flex with every impact of the ground. Every time it hits the ground it flexes outward – like a toilet plunger – and then snaps back when the hoof comes off the ground. That flexing sucks an enormous amount of blood into the hoof mechanism… keeps it healthy, helps it to grow properly, helps fight off problems… AND all that liquid provides an hydraulic-like shock absorption for the joints, ligaments, and tendons of the leg. Wow… who knew? At one point I remember believing the horse’s hoof was just a wad of hard stuff… like one big fingernail.

But there’s more. When the foot lifts off the ground and the flexed hoof snaps back, the power of that contraction shoves the blood in the hoof capsule back up those long skinny legs, taking strain off the heart.

So what happens to all this good stuff when a metal shoe is nailed to the hoof?

Nothing.

No circulation (or substantially reduced circulation)… no shock absorption (in fact if you’ve ever seen the videos of the vibrations set off up the leg when a metal shoe slams into the ground see link below, it’ll freak you out)… and no assistance to the heart in getting that blood back up the leg.

Five: There is no hoof lameness in the wild (the wild of the American west where the horse evolved for 50+ million years; the terrain he is well used to living on). Yet the American Farriers Association reports that 95% of domestic horses have some degree of hoof lameness? Some folks want to say that’s because the domestic hoof is inherently weak. But as we’ve already established, the inherent genetics are the same as the wild horse. The reasons for so much domestic hoof lameness are the metal shoes, diet, lifestyle, stress, and in some cases work load that we have forced upon the horse. In other words: No Stalls, no shoes, no sugar!

In simple terms, what all this means is that a horse’s entire physiology has been built over millions of years to:

One: Move a minimum of 8 to 20 miles a day, on bare hooves.

Two: Be with a herd, and thus physically and emotionally safe, unstressed.

Three: Spend 16 to 18 hours a day eating… from the ground, a variety, but mostly grass or grass hay; a continuous uptake in small quantities to suit their small tummies and the function of their hindguts.

Four: Control their own thermoregulatory system, thus controlling their own internal body temperature with no outside assistance, including heat, blankets, and the like.

Five: Stand and walk on firm fresh ground, not in the chemical remnants of their own poop and pee… nor be breathing the fumes of those remnants, plus the excessive carbon dioxide that accumulates inside a closed structure. In other words, no stalls.

Six: Get a certain amount of unstressed REM sleep, which requires them to lie down, which will usually only happen when in the company of other horses, for guard duty.

Watch this VideoHow We Kept Six Barefoot HorsesMoving and Eating Happily,Healthily on an Acre and a Halfof Rock and Dirt

https://vimeo.com/90801520

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The story of our journey with horses (to date) is told in the two books that follow: the national best seller The Soul of a Horse – Life Lessons from the Herd and its sequel Born Wild – The Soul of a Horse.

And what a story it is as two novices without a clue stumble and bumble their way through the learning process so that hopefully you won’t have to. If you haven’t read both of these books already please do because with that reading, I believe, will come not just the knowledge of discovery but the passion and the excitement to cause you to commit to your journey with horses, to do for the horse without waiver so that your relationship and experience will be with loving, happy and healthy horses who are willing partners and who never stop trying for you. Horses like ours.

The highly acclaimed best selling sequel to the National Best SellerThe Soul of a Horse – Life Lessons from the Herd

Please list the names for each inscription in the “instructions to Seller” field as you check out!

“Joe Camp is a master storyteller.” – The New York Times

“One cannot help but be touched by Camp’s love and sympathy for animals and by his eloquence on the subject.” – Michael Korda, The Washington Post

“Joe Camp is a natural when it comes to understanding how animals tick and a genius at telling us their story. His books are must-reads for those who love animals of any species.” – Monty Roberts – Author of New York Timers Best-seller The Man Who Listens to Horses

“Camp’s tightly-written, simply-designed and powerfully drawn chapters often read like short stories that flow from the heart.” Jack L. Kennedy – The Joplin Independent

“Joe Camp is a gifted storyteller and the results are magical. Joe entertains, educates and empowers, baring his own soul while articulating keystone principles of a modern revolution in horsemanship.” – Rick Lamb – TV/Radio host – The Horse Show

“One cannot help but be touched by Camp’s love and sympathy for animals and by his eloquence on the subject.” – Michael Korda, The Washington Post – See more at: https://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/the-books-of-joe-camp/born-wild-the-soul-of-a-horse/#sthash.6KJjzSLr.dpuf

“One cannot help but be touched by Camp’s love and sympathy for animals and by his eloquence on the subject.” – Michael Korda, The Washington Pos – See more at: https://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/the-books-of-joe-camp/born-wild-the-soul-of-a-horse/#sthash.6KJjzSLr.dpuf

“One cannot help but be touched by Camp’s love and sympathy for animals and by his eloquence on the subject.” – Michael Korda, The Washington Pos – See more at: https://thesoulofahorse.com/blog/the-books-of-joe-camp/born-wild-the-soul-of-a-horse/#sthash.6KJjzSLr.dpuf

Joe & Kathleen

Barely eight years ago Joe and Kathleen Camp entered the world of horses without a horse or a clue and very quickly found their questions steering them into uncharted and controversial waters on a collision course with the ultimate discovery that most "domestic" horses in the world are being kept and cared for in a manner that is diametrically contradictory to their genetic design. Since that moment they have both become passionate advocates for change.
Kathleen is a lawyer specializing in litigation and is now teaching American Literature at The Webb School. Joe created the international canine superstar Benji and wrote, produced, and directed all five of the Benji movies and various television programs. His recent book The Soul of a Horse is a national best seller and in its ninth printing.
Even with all the accomplishments and media exposure, Camp is still in awe of his own success. “Inside, I’m still a kid sitting in a dark theater in Little Rock, Arkansas, watching Disney’s ‘Song of the South’ or reading books like the Black Stallion with happy tears rolling down my cheeks,” he says. “To be able to bringt that kind of happiness to others is very special.”
For more, click on the About Joe & Kathleen link in the header bar above.